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So many construction projects are underway right now on Abbot Kinney that the only way to give you a picture of what we are becoming is to list them.

El Vino was replaced by Portland’s beloved and almost ready to open Blue Star Donuts.

Cuyana out of San Francisco has opened a pop-up shop in the old Juicy Leaf space.

Juicy Leaf moved down the street into a former woman’s clothing store.

The Butcher’s Daughter restaurant is under major construction in the former Local 1205.

Salt & Straw (again from Portland) will be opening in the old Casa Linda location.

Casa Linda and a Mini-Hal’s are moving into the Primitivo space.

Vince, the chain, opened their two stores this past weekend. One of the stores was to be occupied by Mini T’s.

Luxury cashmere clothing shop Kit and Ace is under construction in the Sunya Currie building.

Topo Ranch is gone. New tenant not yet known.

Current Elliott is opening in the Jack Spade space.

Industry of All Nations has opened in old A & R Space.

Jewelry store to open in LFrank location.

Sweaty Betty out of UK to open in Mona Moore Space.

In a blink of an eye

…the historical character of a building is obliterated.

That’s what just happened on Abbot Kinney.

A new brand, marketing ‘casual cashmere’ clothing to our new eliterati punched the street in the nose the other day with each stroke of its paint brush. A paint brush loaded with the whitest, glossiest white paint coated one of the streets oldest original brick buildings — three coats thick.

The new wonder brand and its vision is a progeny of Lululemon money. Its website is so slick and young and so fresh it takes your breath away. They are here to soak up the street’s coolness — and rake in the dough.

What this brand doesn’t have, in all its fabulousness, is a respect for its good fortune.
How was it possible they did not want to just lovingly enhance Sunya Currie’s amazing historic building and feel practically blessed they got the lease.

These visionaries are the ones you hear extolling the fabulous ‘sense of place’ they feel here — just like they experience at The Grove! They see Abbot Kinney as a cool image-builder while they destroy its cultural and historic persona. That unique persona is what made the street so special but they don’t see anything but dollar signs.